“I come from Ghana. I’m always smiling. People ask me: ‘Isaac, why are you always smiling?' I tell them: ‘What else can I do?’ I am so blessed to …

“I come from Ghana. I’m always smiling. People ask me: ‘Isaac, why are you always smiling?' I tell them: ‘What else can I do?’ I am so blessed to be in this country. I work in customer service at the CVS on 57th Street and I love it. CVS is the best place that I love so much. I help people with their needs and it makes me so happy. I help them with their coupons. I help them with their medication. People bring me their challenges and I solve their problems. You can say that I am their champion. I am not a citizen. But when I help people with their problems, that makes me part of the community. So I do feel like an American.”

Thanks for all the messages you sent for Sasha while he was sick. Everything is under control now, and he's back to his cheerful self! / Gracias a tod…

Thanks for all the messages you sent for Sasha while he was sick. Everything is under control now, and he's back to his cheerful self! / Gracias a todos por los mensajes cariñosos a Sasha durante los días que estuvo enfermito. Ahora todo bajo control y con la alegría de siempre!

“I grew up in the suburbs. I used to think that I could write a prescription for a poor man: ‘Get a job, save your money, pull yourself up by the boo…

“I grew up in the suburbs. I used to think that I could write a prescription for a poor man: ‘Get a job, save your money, pull yourself up by the bootstraps.’ I don’t believe that anymore. I was ignorant to the experiences of poor people. I’d invite anyone to come and meet the people who live in this neighborhood. Right now we are surrounded by working poor people. These are the people who sell your tools at Sears, and fix your roofs, and take care of your parents, and mow your lawns, and serve your meals. They’re not getting a living wage. There’s no money left to save. There’s nothing left if they get sick. Nothing left if their car breaks down. And God forbid they make a mistake, because there’s nothing left to pay fines or fees. When you’re down here, the system will continue to kick dirt in your face. You can’t pull yourself up when there’s nothing to grab onto. We aren’t paying our brothers and sisters enough to live. We want them to serve us, but we aren’t serving them.”